Aftermath
by MidnightDawn999
Summary: After the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan receives a distress signal from the planet TahTon. Who he finds is the last person he expected - and together, they may begin to put back the pieces that were broken by betrayal. (Some Hurt!Obi-Wan and slight violence)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: All right, this was co-written with the lovely and talented Rubblestrength! We hope you enjoy this first installment. There are fifteen chapters in all, and God-willing I will be posting one a day, or if something comes up I will most likely post it the next. God bless, and gramercy!**

Visibility was nearly zero. Clouds of frozen air hung all around. Obi-Wan Kenobi stared out into the ice-storm from within his small shuttle. TahtTon was a frigid and hostile planet, once home to a clone outpost that had long-since been abandoned. The temperatures here were too extreme to maintain the base with all the energy it required. For economic reasons, the base had been shut off a mere three months after its creation. Still, from across the snowy landscape, Obi-Wan was reading a distress signal. He'd come this far... and if it was a surviving Jedi? One who had somehow escaped the massacre? He would not leave them to die.

With a sigh, the Jedi opened the back of the shuttle with the push of a button. He pulled his hood up over his head and cringed at the instant blast of freezing air that met him. He grumbled as he closed the shuttle and started off. Raising a small scanner, Obi-Wan looked at the bright blue screen. The signal was coming from only thirty yards away. Looking up, the Jedi tried to see through the blowing snow. No good. He'd have to trust his instincts and the Force to guide him. Breathing deeply, he closed his eyes and reached out with the Force.

The darkness ate at him. Obi-Wan kept it back. He didn't want to think about that... any of it. But there it was, in the back of his mind whenever he closed his eyes. The words rang in his mind... "Traitor! You underestimate my power... I hate you!" Obi-Wan shook his head. He couldn't think about Anakin-not now. The regret would only pull his focus away from the present. He'd left Tatooine because he'd gotten a signal-one from this base. Who else would have come here but a surviving Jedi?

Of course, it could be a trap set by the new republic; the Empire... No. Obi-Wan refused to consider that. If there was even a chance of other Jedi, he must look into it.

Advancing through the storm, Obi-Wan extended a hand. The signal was getting closer and closer... Bump. His hand met a hard surface. A wall. It was smooth and cold. Ocean-blue eyes narrowed and Obi-Wan looked up. There. In the darkness and swirling ice, he could see the silhouette of a giant building. He'd made it. Now he needed to find the door. He inched sideways, feeling along the wall with one hand, while keeping the scanner in the other. Finally, the wall seemed to disappear beneath Obi-Wan's hand. He moved forward.

Darkness engulfed him, and he found himself walking in a small space-almost too narrow to fit through. His shoulders brushed the walls on either side of himself. It was some kind of corridor. Putting away his scanner, Obi-Wan let the Force lead him on through the inky blackness. He sensed something... something familiar. What exactly, he couldn't tell. Frowning, he walked onward, breathing deeply to keep himself centered in the present, not the past.

Whispers of the Force told him to keep moving; his path was unhindered. Yet, there was something else. His instinct warned him to be cautious. The wind outside continued howling, and inside, there were echoes of it-meanwhile, Obi-Wan was stuck somewhere in the middle, in a long hallway. Something above him and just ahead, scratched against the walls, sending dust and snow falling to the floor.

"Rats-I can't stand rats," Obi-Wan muttered. Yet, he hoped it was a rat, and not something bigger.

The Jedi let his hand drop to the light-saber on his belt, just in case. He let the Force flow through him. He felt his surroundings. There was something... wrong. A presence beside his own. Obi-Wan couldn't place the feeling; it was like many feelings combined in one crushing one. Fear, loss, anger... regret... and something else. Obi-Wan shook his head. He blocked it out, trying to get out into the open and out of the small hallway. It would be a terrible place to be caught.

There was a yell, like something rabid - a sound that could have been likened to a starving animal. A figure seemed to drop from above, landing in front of the Jedi. Hands gripped his shoulders to shove him against the wall.

Obi-Wan's eyes widened, though through the darkness, he could barely see a shadow moving. He grunted as his face met the wall. Obi-Wan Force-pushed the man away from himself. Gripping his light-saber, he ignited it. Blue light flooded the small space between them.

The figure retreated from the light as though burned. "Follow orders," the whisper echoed in the corridor. "A good soldier follows orders," the voice cracked. The figure pressed his back against the wall and slid to the floor, pressing his hands against his head. "Following orders, good soldiers follow orders."

Obi-Wan froze. Blue light glowed between the two, and Obi-Wan stared in disbelief. "Cody?" The Jedi's voice turned to a whisper.

Cody shook his head, pressing his hands even harder against his skull. He pinched his eyes shut and spoke through clenched teeth, "I don't know what's... happening, Sir."

Obi-Wan stared in suspicion. He didn't put away his light-saber, but he didn't advance. Last time he'd seen the clone commander, Cody's men had shot him off a cliff in an attempt to kill him. "How did you get here?"

Cody's expression was pained. He had to fight it. He thudded his head back against the wall. "We were fighting... Grievous. His droids. It's the last thing I remember. Where am I, Sir?"

Obi-Wan frowned. Cody didn't remember anything since the last battle against Grevous? This was news indeed. "We're on the planet TahtTon, in the old outpost. Are you sure you don't remember...?"

"Remember what?" Cody snapped. "I'm sorry, Sir, sorry," his voice grew soft on the last word.

Obi-Wan frowned deeply. What was he to do? He stared down at the clone-the man who had been his friend. The clones had all turned on the Jedi; murdered them... yet there he was. Clearly, he was in pain. Obi-Wan may not trust him as he once did, but they had once been friends... and that meant something, did it not? Obi-Wan knelt slowly, keeping a watchful eye on the clone. With his light-saber held to the side, Obi-Wan tried to get some sense of what exactly was happening; perhaps some reason for all that had happened.

Cody opened his eyes, looking at Obi-Wan. An order rang through his mind. Pressing against his eyes, trying to crawl out through his skin. He closed his eyes again, scowling against the orders running through his mind. "Follow orders, kill...the Jedi." He let out a growl of frustration, shaking his head.

Obi-Wan's posture stiffened and he remained back. "Who's orders?" The clone commander didn't answer. Obi-Wan suddenly found things were much more complicated than he had first believed. He would need to look into this-but how exactly was he to go about that? He didn't know just yet. First, he needed to get himself-and Cody-out of the cold.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy this next installment!**

The snow stung Cody's face. Handcuffs bound his hands behind his back as the two men began making their way back to Obi-Wan's shuttle. Whispered words echoed in the clone commander's mind, with no end in sight. He couldn't remember how he had gotten on this planet. The General looked... Older, somehow. Tired. Everything seemed wrong, but he couldn't begin to remember why, or what he had done.

Obi-Wan walked beside the clone, trudging through the snow-storm. It was a white-out. Obi-Wan couldn't see behind a yard. He followed his scanner, all the while keeping Cody right beside him. He didn't want to lose him in the storm. Obi-Wan wouldn't be responsible for accidentally killing him. The Jedi cringed at the thought. No. He wouldn't let that happen. "We're almost there!" he called over the wind.

"Copy that, Sir," Cody called back. Something surged inside his head at the sound of the Jedi's voice, like a hate that wasn't his own. His own feelings were numb, suspiciously so. As though being held back by some mechanic dam.

Obi-Wan plodded along through the ever-deepening snow. His mind was blessedly occupied. Perhaps this had been a good idea. He could learn something about the last days of the war... he could learn why the clones had turned. After all, Tatooine had not given him any answers.

Having stopped paying attention, it came as a shock when Obi-Wan wandered head-first into his ship's hull. "Ow!" The exclamation was said more of surprise than pain. He inched around it, waving a hand toward where the door ought to be, calling on the Force to open it.

"Are you all right, Sir?"

"Yes... In the ship, if you will," Obi-Wan gestured toward the ramp as it lowered toward them.

Cody walked up the ramp and into the small ship. He glanced back at the other man, only to quickly look away as a high pitched sound began ringing inside of his head. He groaned and tugged against the restraints.

Obi-Wan followed him in, then pushed the button that closed the back again. For a moment, the Jedi considered his situation. He'd locked himself in the shuttle with Cody-who clearly wasn't in his right mind-and Obi-Wan had no idea how to actually help him.

Cody couldn't look at the other man. He kept his gaze locked instead on the wall before him. "What's wrong with me?" he asked, keeping his voice steady and strong.

Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan remained silent for a moment. He hadn't the slightest idea. He moved forward, walking around Cody and heading to the front of the ship. He had a medical kit there... perhaps there was something there he could use. The Jedi kept an eye on Cody, walking sideways rather than turning his back to him; just in case.

The clone watched him with his peripheral vision. He'd never seen a Jedi so distrusting - and certainly never General Kenobi. Obi-Wan had his reasons, Cody was sure.

Obi-Wan pulled the medical kit off the highest shelf and made his way back. "I'm sorry it has to be this way," Obi-Wan stated quietly. Still, on some level, he wondered if maybe helping Cody would make things right-even if just a little.

"I know you're doing what you have to, Sir," Cody spoke in what was like a reassurance. He tried to ignore the handcuffs, as the thought of them only made the noises in his head worse.

Obi-Wan nodded once toward the built-in seating across the small ship. Obi-Wan was no doctor, but if he could help, he would. Cody moved towards the bench-of-sorts and sat.

Obi-Wan walked after him and hesitantly stood for a moment. He really wasn't sure what to do. Again, he wasn't a doctor. "You're sure you don't remember anything after fighting Grievous' men?"

"No, Sir. How long has it been?"

"Hmmm... That's interesting. How long? Nearly three months since the last thing you recall." Obi-Wan was tempted to ask if Cody remembered shooting at him... but he wouldn't. No. It wouldn't be right. It seemed hard enough for the man to focus on reality as it was.

"Three months? I-I," Cody sputtered in shock before he regained his bearings, "I didn't realize, Sir."

"Clearly. We'll figure it out, as I've really no idea what's going on either."

"Does the Jedi council know?"

Obi-Wan's expression stayed blank, even as he felt his soul drop. He breathed out for a long moment. "There is no Jedi council."

"…What?"

Obi-Wan didn't speak. Instead, he started going through the medical pack. He pulled out a scanner and held it before Cody's eyes. The scanner beeped at him, and turned red. What it showed meant nothing to the Jedi. "Blast." He wished he'd learned a bit more in the medical profession.

Cody peered at the screen. "MTBI. Concussion, Sir."

"Oh..." Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes..." He still wasn't entirely certain what one would do for a concussion.

"You had medical training, General?"

"Well..." Obi-Wan leaned back and pressed a hand over his lips for a moment. "Not exactly."

"Oh, uh, treatment is rest for the patient and ice on the injury. Sir."

"Oh, right then," Obi-Wan nodded. He considered his new problem. He had to let Cody rest... which meant he had to temporarily free his hands. Obi-Wan wasn't sure he liked the idea, but there was no other option. He could free him, then head into the cockpit, and lock the rear compartment. It wasn't the best plan, but it was the best he had at that moment. "Turn around," Obi-Wan stated.

"Sir," Cody began rather quickly, "I have another idea."

Obi-Wan paused. "What is it?"

Cody didn't wait, he brought his arms underneath of himself and then under his legs, pulling his feet through and trying not to get the armor caught. He continued until his hands were in front of himself. "General Kenobi," he started, "I'm not some mindless-droid. Something happened with the Jedi, and I had a part in it. I'll do what I can to make it right."

"I know you will," Obi-Wan added. "But you need to rest."

"Yes, sir." Cody refrained from sighing. He laid on his back, his bound hands on his abdomen. He stared up at the roof of the shuttle.

Obi-Wan moved across the shuttle, heading into the cockpit. It was time to leave this planet.

Obi-Wan sat at the controls, and hit the engine. Nothing happened. He tried again. The engine sputtered and quickly died. "What?" Obi-Wan frowned. "Not good." He checked the monitor and the system status. "The engine's frozen." They couldn't leave until it thawed... and without the sun, that was impossible.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Feedback means the world to us! I thank you for the reviews.**

 _It was a world of black and white, in a universe of grey; it was a world of true and false, in a universe of perspective. One command, one above the others; hidden under everything. One word, two goals; blurred lines. A single army, of two kingdoms. One man to serve two masters._

 _Spiderwebs of lies and betrayal, of blood soaking the ground - sixty-six, no less and naught more._

Cody woke from the dream, a sickening feeling twisting inside. Dread pounded with the headache, taking the air from his lungs. It stole all that he felt, like a twisted thief; violating his soul as it ripped away emotions, peeling them as flesh from bone. He brought his hands to his head, writhing in agony.

With a gasp, a light switched off in brown eyes.

He stood off of the bench, his movements completely silent in the small craft. A good soldier follows orders. Execute order 66.

The man moved to the cockpit. The Jedi slept, his face against the console, looking less-than sophisticated with an especially long string coming from parted lips and attaching itself to the buttons in front of his face. A good soldier follows orders. His steps were too quiet too hear, and he came behind Obi-Wan. Cody pulled his handcuffed hands over the General's head and to his throat, pulling back harshly.

Obi-Wan woke feeling his head jerked back. He choked, flinching in surprise. Everything flooded back to him. He was on TahtTon where he'd tracked the distress call. He was with... Cody. Obi-Wan raised both hands, putting them between his neck and Cody's hands. That would buy him a few moments and some air. He clasped Cody's hands in his, and turned sharply, throwing the clone against the ship's console.

"Cody, why are you doing this?" Perhaps he could get some answers now.

Cody yelled in anger as he hit the console. "Execute rule 66, a good soldier follows orders, follow orders..."

"Whose orders?" Obi-Wan choked out, wrestling with Cody as he struggled to free himself.

Cody regained his bearings and got off of the console. Pulling the struggling Jedi closer, he spoke into his ear, "Lord Sidious."

Obi-Wan coughed, eyes widening. The Sith lord. Of course. But when had he managed to give them the order? Obi-Wan pulled himself free just long enough to use the Force to push Cody away from himself. "Cody," he hoped he could reason with him. Looking at the man now, Obi-Wan thought it would be next to impossible. Yet, they had once been friends... Obi-Wan held both hands up before himself. "This isn't you..." he paused, grimacing. "...I hope."

Cody let out a sound like a growl, pressing the palms of his hands against his forehead. "Good soldier, follows orders..."

Obi-Wan's hand hovered over his light-saber. He wouldn't kill Cody. The Jedi was not prepared to lose another battle; another friend. "You are a good soldier. Stand down." Would one order cancel out another? Obi-Wan wasn't willing to bet his life on it, but he'd try it.

Cody dropped his head into his hands, his expression pained. "I'm sorry, General... I..." His head hurt. He couldn't focus.

"It's all right." Obi-Wan cautiously edged around Cody. Obi-Wan wondered what would happen if he mentioned order 66. Should he dare, or would it send them back into a desperate battle for the upper-hand?

"There's something in my head," he spoke through his clenched teeth.

Looking at Cody, Obi-Wan nodded. "We'll find out what exactly that is. I promise I'll do what I can." Obi-Wan kept one hand forward, almost like a shield, or an open gesture of honesty-even he was not certain which.

"What did I do to them, Sir? I have to know, please."

"I don't know if you did anything." He emphasized 'you.' Obi-Wan knew the clones had played a part in the massacre of the Jedi. He didn't know how much of a part Cody had played in that.

"…General Skywalker?"

Obi-Wan's shoulders drooped. His eyes darkened and he shook his head. "Anakin..." Obi-Wan forced himself to control his emotions for the man that had once been so like a brother to him. "Anakin fell to the Dark side... I..." he couldn't.

Shock seemed to make Cody's limbs heavy. "Is there anyone else left?"

"I don't know... I've been out of contact until I received a distress signal from the outpost here, on TahtTon."

"I sent out the signal, Sir."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I figured as much when I sensed no other life forms. Who did you expect would come?"

"I'm sorry, Sir. I know you wanted it to be a Jedi."

"That I did, Cody. But I'm not disappointed. Your life is important too."

"What do we do now, General?"

For the first time in months, Obi-Wan felt like he had a purpose again. Watching over Luke on Tatooine was only so much of a "purpose." This was something Obi-Wan could do. "Now... we find out what happened to you and the other clones."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for the follow, favourite and reviews! I hope you're all doing well!**

Obi-Wan watched the sun rise in the distance, reflecting brilliantly off the solid white snow. Miles and miles of white crystals were unbroken, but for the outpost peeking out over it. The Jedi stood, opening the back of the shuttle again. After last night's incident, he'd decided to close it, but there should be no need now that he was awake. He looked at the clone-who seemed relatively peaceful while sleeping-and wondered what could have happened to turn him, and the other clones, against the Jedi. Obi-Wan was determined to find out.

He moved back to the pilot's chair and sat down. Switching on all the engines, he listened as the ship rumbled to life. Thankfully, the sun had warmed it enough that he should be able to take off. Obi-Wan let it idle a few minutes, as his thoughts swirled in his mind just like a snowstorm. Where would he go? He couldn't take Cody back to Tatooine-at least, not in the state he was in. He would be a danger to Luke. No... that wouldn't do.

Kamino. The scientific facility on Kamino had been abandoned after the war ended... or so he'd heard. He'd received word that the facility had been ordered to shut down by Emperor Palpatine only a month ago... Obi-Wan didn't know if this was true, but he didn't have a choice. If he was to discover what was happening to Cody, he would need to go to the source-and that would be Kamino.

Obi-Wan controlled the ship, raising it into the air. It shuddered as snow slid off its top and over its wings. Slowly Obi-Wan could feel it lift away from the snow-coated ground. He charted a course for the planet Kamino. It would be a long trip.

Once free from the snow, Obi-Wan directed the shuttle toward the sky. Rocketing forward, Obi-Wan headed toward the upper atmosphere. He wondered what exactly had become of the other Jedi. Surely some had survived. There had been thousands. There must be a few that remained. And what of the clones? The Jedi would no longer trust them... but from what Obi-Wan could tell, the men hadn't wished to do what they'd done... it seemed to be a command they could not ignore, or it harmed them. How many Jedi and clones had killed each other over something that may have been curable? Obi-Wan shuddered to think of the answer.

A display beeped at him, announcing that the hyper-drive was ready for a jump to hyperspace. He nodded, but was not yet ready. First he would have to get into the open-out of TahtTon's atmosphere.

Cody stirred, waking in the back of the shuttle. He blinked up at the blurry lights and tried to bring a hand to his face, the handcuffs still around his wrists halting the movement. He frowned and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to ignore the pounding n his head. The man pushed himself into a sitting position, making sense of the situation. The Jedi council was gone. And apparently, from the way Obi-Wan spoke, the clones had turned on them; it didn't seem possible.

Obi-Wan heard Cody's movements. The Jedi turned, just to be sure he wasn't about to be ambushed... again. "How do you feel?"

"I'm alive, thank you Sir." He stood off of the bench, squinting as the headache caused the lights to look like miniature suns. He cursed as he nearly ran into the door. He scowled and pressed his hands against his forehead. "Were you hurt, General?"

Obi-Wan smirked. Well, he had a lovely bruise on the side of his face, other than that... "No, not seriously."

"Good to hear, Sir." Cody came into the cockpit and lowered himself into the co-pilot's seat.

Obi-Wan briefly looked at him, then back at the controls. He debated with himself on whether he should tell Cody where they were going. Truly, he wondered if he should have told him anything about the war. Still, he'd done it, and there was no taking it back. Besides, what was the worst that could happen? "We're going to Kamino," Obi-Wan finally announced.

"But won't the-" he stopped mid-sentence. "There isn't anyone on Kamino anymore, is there?"

Obi-Wan closed his eyes for a moment. "No. I'm sorry, Cody."

"It's alright, Sir. We were never meant to be born after the war anyway."

Obi-Wan was silent. This was true. He wondered how it must feel to be made for one purpose... and to know that after you've completed it, your purpose is done, and there is nothing left. A part of Obi-Wan finally understood what it must be like-without the Jedi... he felt as though the world had changed, and he was no longer required or important to its continued well-being... and it hurt.

Cody sighed. What was the point of all the death? Were wars even won - or just finished?

"I've set a course," Obi-Wan stated, "As soon as it's safe, we'll make the jump."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: To those still reading, thank you for sticking with us!**

 **Dedicated to Sophia the Scribe.**

Hours had passed and Cody still hadn't moved from the co-pilot seat, not even after their conversation had died out. Now, he watched the blurred stars passing them by in the hyperspace travel. After years of fighting, and it seemed the old war had finally ended only for a new one to begin. Everyone had been betrayed, the Republic had both lost and won - but there were no true winners. Just survivors, it seemed.

How many other clones were left?

His thoughts were interrupted by an insistent beeping. The once-Commander leaned forward, looking at the screen on the console before him. "What the... General Kenobi, there's something blocking the path. This course was already charted, there shouldn't be anything there!"

Obi-Wan looked at the screen. "Blast! It's a ship." He grimaced. "We have to drop out of hyperspace or risk hitting it." Even as he spoke, the Jedi reached forward, hitting the button that disengaged hyperspace. "I have a bad feeling about this..." The stars began to come into focus as the shuttle slowed. Obi-Wan looked up. A massive Imperial carrier shadowed them, dwarfing Obi-Wan's shuttle. He took evasive maneuvers, hoping that by some chance, the imperials didn't know they were here. Maybe they could get around them and back into hyperspace without being caught.

The ship jerked to a stop. Cody scowled, gripping the console. "Tractor beam," he exclaimed, all-but seething.

"So I've noticed." Obi-Wan grunted as he was all but thrown from his seat. He hauled himself back to the console. "Here I thought this trip would be uneventful." He turned off the power, knowing full well that if he didn't, the ship could be torn apart trying to free itself from the powerful tractor beam.

Cody watched the looming ship as they were drawn closer. The cuffs'll be useful after all, he thought, running through ideas in his mind.

Obi-Wan sighed. This was about to go from complicated, to extremely complicated. Up until now, he had been thought dead, and so no one had searched for him. Now, if it was discovered who exactly he was... he could have a problem.

"You have entered Imperial space. Prepare to be boarded," a voice announced over their radio frequency.

"That's good," Obi-Wan muttered sarcastically.

Cody stood, glancing at the Jedi. Imperial. Images flashed through his mind, pictures of a battle, and the symbol of the Republic. He pushed them into the back of his mind. "They'll think I've been taken captive."

"What? Who?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The enemy." Cody looked back out as they were drawn against the ship's side. "They will trust me, Sir." He was certain of it, he didn't need to remember why.

Obi-Wan frowned. "Will they?" He wasn't entirely sure what would happen now. "All right. I suppose you have a plan then?"

"Of course, General." Cody smiled slightly, though it looked more like a smirk. "You can count on me, General. I won't let you down."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. He hoped this was true. He felt the ship stop moving, then jar suddenly as it impacted solid ground. "I hope whatever your planning works."

Cody frowned slightly. They would want to brief him on his capture, and he would have to come back for Obi-Wan after they put him in the cells. He need more time to strategize, but there was no more time. Already, he could hear someone attempting to get the door open.

"Well..." Obi-Wan started. He would have to make it look like Cody was his captive... which he sort of was, but actually wasn't. Obi-Wan was not actually sure at this point. Either way, he couldn't let them be caught having a nice discussion. Obi-Wan drew his light-saber, hoping that it wouldn't actually throw Cody into another full-blown anger-driven rage.

Cody's attention was pulled away from the door, brown eyes locked on the light-saber. The Jedi. He had to follow orders. He turned away, clenching his fists.

"At least it'll look convincing," Obi-Wan mumbled to himself. He held the weapon, looking Cody in the eyes while he waited.

The men at the door were trying to break in. Obi-Wan wasn't about to let them in, as that would make it too easy; and he didn't want that.

"Yes, sir." Cody ground his teeth.

The door burst open, and several armed men-clones-burst into the room. "Jedi!" One announced. All guns were directed at him. One of the men walked toward Cody, gun still trained on Obi-Wan. "Are you all right, Commander?"

Obi-Wan kept his light-saber up. Clearly the men instantly knew who Cody was. It didn't seem strange to them, what was happening.

"Lower your weapon, we've been ordered to take you to holding." One spoke, his tone emotionless as he looked at Obi-Wan.

"Yes. Trooper, I need these cuffs removed." Cody spoke up, not looking back at Obi-Wan.

"Yes, sir!" One of the clones moved forward, removing the binders, then turning to look at Obi-Wan. "Take the prisoner to lockup."

Obi-Wan felt so strange. For years he'd worked with these men-or men like them-and they'd been so kind... or at least, they had seemed like it. Now it felt like they were not even there... empty versions of themselves. Obi-Wan was let forward at gun-point, and his light-saber was taken from him. He glanced toward Cody.

Cody returned the look for the briefest of seconds. He couldn't remember months of his life - that must have been what it looked like. He wouldn't serve this new Republic, whatever they were calling themselves; never again.

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	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: To those still reading, thank you for sticking with us!**

 **Dedicated to A Million Shades of Blue.**

Obi-Wan was led away, surrounded by a group of four clones. He strode forward, silently going where he was told. Thoughts threatened to tear away his peace; thoughts of doubt and worry... thoughts a Jedi shouldn't have. Obi-Wan pushed them all away, but they were still there, at the edge of his mind. Would Cody help him, or would the mysterious illness take over again, and leave them on opposite sides for the second time? Obi-Wan hoped not.

"Keep moving!" A shove to the back told Obi-Wan he had stopped walking in favor of thinking. He nearly fell, instead tumbling into a clone troopers shoulder with a loud

"Ahhh! Ooph!" Obi-Wan was pushed back, and he was walking again. This time, one of the troopers gripped his arm in a vice-like grip. Obi-Wan grimaced.

After walking through several halls, and eventually coming to the detention center, the men led Obi-Wan to a door-lined hall and stopped him before the last one on the right. It opened, and one of the clones nudged him forward. "Get in."

Obi-Wan did as he was told, walking in and then turning to look at the clones. He wondered if perhaps... maybe they were like Cody. What if they didn't want this any more than he had? "I know you didn't mean any of this to happen."

The clones looked at each other, then back at Obi-Wan. "What?" They seemed confused, but not angry.

"Do what you have to. I understand."

A slight hesitation seemed like an eternity before one of the clones spoke again. "Sorry, Sir." With that, the door slid shut between them. And Obi-Wan's suspicions were confirmed.

Somehow, the Sith lord had forced the clones to attack the Jedi, against their will. But how was Obi-Wan going to change it? How could he? He was just one man. Still, he focused on the positives... this would give him something to do. In a way, it would be a way to right the wrongs of the Clone Wars, engineered by the Sith.

Obi-Wan turned and walked to the back of his cell and sat on the plain black bench. His gaze shifted as he looked around the room. It was bland and empty. He hoped Cody actually had a plan... if not, Obi-Wan would have to come up with a plan B.

Cody made his way through the long corridors, paying no mind to the troopers there also. That could have been him, if not for Obi-Wan. They were his brothers. Perhaps when they finally arrived on Kamino and found what had happened, he could return for them; to save them.

Upon arrival at the cells, several clones stood at attention. "At ease, men. Leave this area," he said. They glanced at each other for a moment.

"No offence Commander - we're not to leave our post."

"That was an order!" Cody's voice rose.

The clones stood a little taller, "Sir, yes Sir!"

Cody didn't move from the hallway until their footsteps had faded to quiet echoes. He opened the door before him - this should be it, he mused. Though there were many others to check if the General wasn't in the first cell block.

Nothing.

He shook his head and moved to the next one, opening it as he had done with the other moments before. Inside, Obi-Wan sat on a bench, looking oddly lonely in the dismal, grey cell. "General," Cody greeted and gave a brisk nod.

"Cody," Obi-Wan nodded, not suppressing a smile. "I'm glad to see you."

"Are you all right, Sir?" Cody asked as he stepped inside, coming before the Jedi.

"I'm fine. My light-saber was taken..." Obi-Wan shrugged.

"We'll find that for you, Sir." Cody hid a cringe. He supposed the 'we' referred to only Obi-Wan and himself now.

Obi-Wan nodded. "And your plan?"

"Steal what we need from the armory, then proceed to the hanger bay. If anyone asks, I'm taking you to interrogation, Sir."

"Oh, all right!" Obi-Wan didn't know if it would work, but it seemed to be working so far. Besides, it was better than his plan-the one that didn't yet exist. "Lead the way, then."

Cody took point. He had come this way, he knew where the guards were placed - they would only be seen perhaps once, or at most twice.

Obi-Wan trundled after him, looking around to see what information he could gather. The clones seemed to be wandering around in some kind of haze, not at all like he remembered them. Hmm... curious. Obi-Wan felt a twinge of regret. Perhaps if he-and the other Jedi-had paid closer attention, this might not have happened?

It didn't take them long until they reached the armory. Cody halted as two soldiers came from the opening, looking more like zombies then the lively men he remembered. As soon as they were gone, he led the way into the large room.

Obi-Wan followed. "Do you suppose it's some kind of brain-washing?" He'd heard rumors of it from Anakin. There had been an incident with Tup and Fives only months before the war had ended. Perhaps there was some truth to it.

"Rex mentioned it when Fives died." Cody refrained from sighing. Whatever Fives had been onto, it could have saved hundreds of thousands of lives. He saw that now.

Obi-Wan nodded tersely. "We better hurry... before they notice something is amiss." He walked over to a shelf, smirking as he found his light-saber lying on a shelf beside several blasters. He snatched it and looked back at Cody, making sure they were still on the same page, so to speak.

Cody chose one of the helmets and returned Obi-Wan's gaze, nodding curtly. He snatched a blaster from one of the shelves and holstered it.

Obi-Wan clipped his light-saber onto his belt and turned, heading back toward the door, only to stop and remember he was supposed to be a prisoner. "You better hold this..." He held the light-saber toward Cody, then added, "Cody, I'm trusting you." He was literally placing his life in the clone's hands, and hoping the man didn't suddenly get the urge to follow order 66 again.

"You can trust me," Cody said, putting an emphasis on 'can'. The Commander gripped the light-saber.

Obi-Wan released his grip on his light-saber, recalling how he'd told Anakin again and again, "Your light-saber is your life." It felt especially true today. He waited. "To the hangar then."

Cody gripped Obi-Wan's arm and walked out into the hall.

Obi-Wan cringed at the grip. "I'll be lucky if I still have blood in my arm when we reach the ship," he spoke quietly.

"Sorry, Sir." There was a quiet laugh in Cody's words.

"I'm sure," Obi-Wan retorted, smiling as well. He quickly wiped the smile off his face as another clone walked around the corner. His armor was white, though there was evidence it had once been painted with some other color-perhaps red. Obi-Wan looked down at the ground, hoping to avoid suspicion or notice.

They continued on, and the other man paid them little mind. That made things easier, at least.

"It's too strange. Don't they notice we're going in the wrong direction?" Obi-Wan pondered this. Not that he wanted the men to notice... but still.

"The clones I knew would always want to do the right thing. We can't ignore the order, but maybe they can ignore what they know is happening."

Obi-Wan felt a sudden weight hit him. He knew Cody was right. That was good, so why did Obi-Wan feel like someone had just dropped him off a building? He shook his head and tried to move on. Guilt. The feeling was guilt. Obi-Wan was fairly certain he was not to blame for whatever had happened in the war... but that didn't ease the feeling.

Cody continued, his hand still gripping Obi-Wan's arm. If they were to make it out alive, they were going to need more than luck.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm hoping you all have had a good week!**

They had nearly reached the hanger, and so far no one had tried to stop them. Cody wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad one, but he was leaning towards bad. As soon as they stepped through the large bay doors, he began looking for a shuttle. Several clones were working on one of the ships. It didn't look like they were going to get away unnoticed.

Obi-Wan walked forward, head down. "This is going to be interesting."

Cody continued moving. He could see Obi-Wan's shuttle from where they were now, just a little ways away from the one they were working on.

"We could find another ship," Obi-Wan suggested. "One with less... traffic."

"Good idea, Sir." Cody looked for another. He shouldn't have been working with the Jedi, he should have been... He grimaced. His head hurt. He couldn't think about the order now.

"Where are you going with the prisoner?"

Obi-Wan halted, not daring to look up and blow their cover. He looked to Cody, hoping he would have some kind of good excuse.

"Lord Sidious has demanded we take the Jedi to him."

The man looked to another standing beside him. "We didn't get that order, Sir."

"You wouldn't have, Rookie. No one is to know of this, except for the Admiral and myself. And now you. What is your name and rank, Trooper?" This was a bad plan.

The trooper nodded sharply and spoke quickly, "Sergeant Trip, Sir."

Obi-Wan had to force back a smile. This was a brilliant plan-or, so far it seemed to be. Cody was taking a risk, but it seemed to be working wonderfully. No one questioned his authority.

Cody nodded, then motioned to one of the other men, "You and Sergeant Trip, once you're finished here, report to the Admiral that the mission is underway." He turned, pulling Obi-Wan along with him. They wouldn't have much time.

"Yes-Sir," the two echoed, saluting.

Obi-Wan stumbled along beside Cody, having been woefully unprepared for the sudden lurching movement. Of course, they were in a hurry. "Good job," he stated, smirking.

"We're not home free yet, Sir."

"It seems we rarely are," Obi-Wan commented quietly. They weaving along beside several ships. Obi-Wan looked at each one, searching for one that looked fast, but reasonably sized.

"This one," Cody spoke, moving towards one of the ships.

"Oomph," Obi-Wan grunted as he was pulled sideways rather abruptly. "All right."

Several moments passed as the ramp began to lower. Hopefully they would have enough time.

Obi-Wan looked over his shoulder in impatience. "I do hope we make it out before Sergeant Trip makes it to the Admiral," he stated.

Cody jogged up the ramp and took the light-saber from where it was clipped onto his belt. He waited for Obi-Wan and held the saber out towards him.

From his place beside Cody, Obi-Wan looked at the light-saber a moment, then quickly took it. He clipped it to his own belt. With that, he hit the button that closed the ramp and made for the pilot's seat, only to reconsider. "You better fly-in case we're being watched."

"Yes, sir." He instead took the pilot's seat. He started the small ship, heading towards the large doors - which, he noted, were already opening. Most likely Sergeant Trip's doing.

Obi-Wan sat in the co-pilot's seat, waiting to be free of the ship's hangar bay. Their trip to Kamino had been delayed longer than he would've liked, but much shorter than he had expected. He hummed quietly, thinking to himself as he stared out the large window. The ship turned, heading out. Stars came into view, and Obi-Wan waited tensely. The plan was working brilliantly.

As soon as they were far enough away, Cody opened a hyperspace window. The ship rocketed forward into the blue star portal.


	8. Chapter 8

Not two hours later, an incessant beeping called Obi-Wan's attention to the fuel gauge. "Oh..." He sighed. "It appears the Imperials can't afford to keep their shuttles fueled." The Jedi's sarcasm was edged with concern. "Cody, check for a nearby system we can refuel at." Obi-Wan gave the command, for a brief moment, feeling familiar in the position of "General."

"Yes, sir." Cody moved his hand over the screen, searching for the closest planet. "Erehton."

"How far is it?" Obi-Wan glanced side-was at Cody. He seemed all right for the moment. A few times over the last hours he'd seemed... tense. Beyond that, there had been no further incident.

"Here, General." Cody pushed several buttons, the charted course showing on the screen before Obi-Wan.

"Ah, yes... we'll make it. It's very close." Obi-Wan could actually see it from the front window. It was less than ten minutes away with the engines at full power... if they didn't run out of fuel first. "What of the locals? Do you know anything about them?" Obi-Wan was suspicious of people now. After the war, people had become less friendly. Some hated the Republic-or the Empire-while others hated the Jedi... or, that's what Obi-Wan had experienced. He didn't know if there were others.

"No, I don't. And if I did," Cody paused and tapped his head, "I can't remember now."

"Ah, yes..." Obi-Wan turned the ship and headed toward the large orange planet. It was sandy, he could tell from here. Anakin had hated sand. Obi-Wan sighed. Oh, Anakin... The thought brought only misery, so Obi-Wan quickly spoke to Cody to take his mind off it. "When I first arrived on TahtTon, I scanned for an energy signature from a ship... there were none. You'd probably been there some time... possibly weeks." He didn't know if that helped, but Obi-Wan thought perhaps some information he could give would help Cody remember something.

"I remember... The cold." Cody closed his eyes and shook his head.

"It was cold," Obi-Wan concurred.

"I... Ah..." Cody pressed his fingers against his temples. "There were... Rebels. We were dispatched to dispose of a group of rebels."

"Rebels?" Obi-Wan frowned in thought. Even after the war, there were people who were not satisfied with how it had ended. This was true with every war. "How did you end up alone?" Perhaps Cody didn't know... if not, Obi-Wan wouldn't press. He had to be careful, after all.

"I was... Injured, Sir. The others must have been ordered off of the planet."

"I see..." Obi-Wan frowned. What ever happened to "No man left behind?" He supposed that with the Jedi gone, that rule had fallen out of practice under the new rule of Emperor Palpatine.

"Where did you go after the war ended?"

"Me?" Obi-Wan suddenly found his question very stupid. He was the only other living being in the ship. He didn't want to say. Not yet. Luke was on Tatooine. If he told Cody, and the worst happened... if perhaps the clone lost control again and killed him when he didn't suspect? What if he went back to the Empire and informed them of where Obi-Wan had been? What if they found Luke?

Cody noticed the uncomfortable silence that followed. "We're coming up on the planet."

"So we are." Obi-Wan was grateful for the change of subject. Another few minutes and they entered the planet's atmosphere. Clouds rushed by like silvery-orange blurs. Obi-Wan guided the ship through the sky, and downward until a city came into view. He adjusted the controls slightly, taking them lower and then leveling off. "No one to greet us... interesting." He wondered if that was good, or bad.

Cody briefly wondered if he should even leave wearing the armor. But, he didn't have a change of clothes - hopefully it wouldn't cause a problem.

Obi-Wan flew the shuttle low, gliding into the city with ease. No on hindered them. Perhaps it was because of the ship they'd "borrowed." It bore the logo of the Republic-the Empire, rather. People probably didn't want to get into any trouble hindering imperials.

In the distance, Obi-Wan spotted a fueling station. He took the ship toward it, docking with ease and heading toward the back of the ship. He paused. What was the plan? Was this planet a loyalist planet? Would they see Obi-Wan and recognize him as Jedi? If they did, would it cause a problem? He pondered this, considering his next move carefully.

"They've left us alone so far, Sir." Cody stood up, facing the Jedi. "It might be safer if I go alone."

Obi-Wan grimaced. It felt too easy. Still, Cody was likely right. "I'll stay in the ship then. I'll keep an eye out. If there's any trouble... Even the slightest sign..." Obi-Wan left the sentence unfinished.

Cody dipped his head in understanding. "Copy that." He moved away from the console and into the back. He felt somewhat relieved to be staying away from the General for a time; he was tired of the order in his mind, trying to tempt him to an anger that wasn't his own. He didn't want to harm Obi-Wan any worse than he already must have. Or perhaps it was the mistrust, the way the General regarded him now, and he even couldn't remember what he had done. If only he could remember... He was sure Kenobi had his reasons. It was order 66, that was all.

Obi-Wan nodded to him. "I'll be waiting, just in case." He moved, looking over the console once more, then walking to the center of their ship. He nodded sharply to the clone.

Cody waited as the ramp lowered, and as soon as it did he strode down. He put the helmet on, briefly scanning the area. There were several fuel tanks by the ship, but no one was monitoring them. Usually, there was at least one person; there was even a booth set up specifically for handling the money. "I have a bad feeling about this," he spoke quietly with a slight shake of the head.

He headed towards one of the lines and began taking it to the ship, dragging it over the paved ground. He had soon crossed the short distance. At soon as he had finished hooking it up to the craft, the fuel emptied itself from the large canister and into the ship.

It felt like someone was watching him; he knew the feeling well. His skin crawled. The man glanced behind himself, a hand resting on his holstered blaster. Only the empty station and a soft breeze greeted him. He shook his head and continued what he had been doing before hand.

He moved the hose out of the ship as soon as the fuel had been pumped in. He didn't like this one bit.

Seemingly from nowhere, blaster bolts started flying. "Gah!" The Commander dove towards the fuel tanks, skillfully rolling as soon as he hit the ground. Surely they weren't stupid enough to keep firing at the tanks - it would blow up the entire station. Still, whoever they were continued shooting. He scowled and hissed under his breath, "Blast!"

Unless he wanted them to blow up not only himself, but the ship - and Obi-Wan in it - he would have to leave the cover.

There was a com in the helmet. He tried to reroute it to connect with the ship; as if the General couldn't hear all the chaos.

"General, General - it's an ambush!"

He began running, still in something of a crouch position. They seemed to be everywhere. He shot back, following where the bolts came from. Several cries of pain followed.

Obi-Wan sprang forward, leaving the ship and looking around. Across the platform, behind several old ships and crates, blaster-fire came in short bursts. Whoever they were, they weren't professional... but even amateurs were dangerous with a blaster. Obi-Wan blocked several shots, calling over the noise for Cody to get into the ship.

Deflecting a blaster bolt, it sprang back and hit the man who'd fired it. He fell, rolling out from behind cover. He looked like a pirate of some kind. Obi-Wan continued blocking, light-saber up and ready for the next shot.

Cody jogged up the ramp, only halting to take a shot as one of the man peeked out from his cover.

Obi-Wan backed toward the ship, light-saber swinging gracefully to block another stray blaster-bolt. It flew back across the platform harmlessly. Obi-Wan reached the ramp and backed into the ship, closing the ramp after himself. "Take off! Hopefully they won't have a ship to follow us in."

"Yes, sir." Cody scowled as he sat in the pilot's seat, starting the ship. It hovered over the ground then jolted forward into the air.

Obi-Wan lurched forward, all but face-planting against the closed door before him. "Good job."

"We're never gonna make it to Kamino if this keeps up!"

Obi-Wan snorted. "It would seem that way, wouldn't it?"

Cody sighed and focused on controlling the ship.

Obi-Wan put away his light-saber and strode to the front of the ship and sat in the co-pilot's seat. "Perhaps now we can make it without more... interruptions and unnecessary stops."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

The rest of the trip-though painfully long-was unhindered. Only four days ago, Obi-Wan had been on Tatooine. This was not where he imagined he would be, but here he was, and he intended to make the best of the situation given him. He had a job to do.

Obi-Wan sat silently in the co-pilot's seat, staring ahead at the blue, grey, and white storming mass that was Kamino. They'd made it. Obi-Wan leaned forward and adjusted the controls, turning on the scanner to ensure that the cloning facility on the surface truly was abandoned. So far, nothing but the sea-creatures' showed up on the life-signs scanner.

"It seems safe. No ships, energy signatures, or other lifeforms," he announced.

Cody nodded, bringing the ship down. Something about the lonely state of Kamino, the only home he or any clone had ever known, it left him feeling... Empty. Dry.

Obi-Wan watched as they entered the planet's atmosphere. Clouds and silver rain poured down around the ship, limiting visibility. Obi-Wan stared through the dark until finally, they came through the clouds, leveling out over the ocean. In the distance, Obi-Wan could see the platforms, buildings, and domes... familiar, but now different.

The metal bird flew through the storm, tilting to avoid one of the tall towers. Perhaps with what they were doing now, they could fix some of what had been broken during the war.

Obi-Wan looked over the buildings. All the landing sites were clear. From what he could see, two of the lower level domes had been flooded. Honestly, he was surprised the ocean hadn't swallowed the building whole since its shut-down.

Cody began to land the ship on one of the large landing platforms.

Watching the rain continually slide across the metal surface was mesmerizing. Obi-Wan sat silently considering what they were doing here-how could they gain information from this? Would it help them? Even if they found something, what could they do with it?

Cody stood and headed for the back. He took the blaster from his belt and set it on the bench. There was no one there besides them, and with whatever was going on he didn't trust himself with it, and he wasn't sure Obi-Wan would either.

Obi-Wan followed Cody to the back, opened the ramp, and waited for it to lower completely before heading down. He recalled his first visit here, and he wondered, did it ever not rain here? His question found its way out into the open as he asked someone who would know, "Does the sun ever come out on Kamino?"

The clone laughed. "It's rare."

Obi-Wan nodded. "So I've noticed!" The wind and rain nearly drowned out his words.

Cody started walking, leading the way towards the looming building. Rain streamed from the high roof, cascading as a waterfall in front of the white doors.

Obi-Wan trailed after him, looking around. There was nothing here... or, nothing living. He found it strange that the Emperor would so quickly stop the production of clones after the war. Even though war was over, he would still need an army to bring things back under control. Obi-Wan supposed that there were enough remaining clones to do the job well enough... but what of keeping the peace? Would there not need to be an army on standby?

The doors jarred into movement before them. They creaked, groaning as they slid apart. Even in the few months that the planet had been abandoned, the weather had apparently taken its toll.

Obi-Wan stepped through the doors and looked down the darkened hallway. Without light, the halls looked far more ominous than he remembered them. "Do you know where the generators are? Perhaps we can restore power."

"Of course, General. I grew up here." Cody took point. Water dripped onto the floor, echoing down the long hall.

Obi-Wan nodded. He knew that. He strode after Cody, boots splashing in the inch-deep water that now covered the floor.

Cody stopped, waiting for the door before him to open. He frowned as it stayed firmly shut. Stepping forward, he put his fingers between the crack in the doors and pulled, grunting as it finally came to life and finished opening on its own. He led the way once more. He was used to seeing places like this; run down, desolate and entirely abandoned. But never this place.

Obi-Wan spoke, "I'm sorry; the way the war ended was... unfortunate." He sighed. That was down-playing it severely. But what else was there to say?

"We all lost a lot, General." Anakin had turned to the Dark Side. Cody knew as well as anyone else that Skywalker and Kenobi had been close friends, more like brothers, or father and son than anything.

"Yes," was the short answer Obi-Wan gave.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I apologize for posting this late, as usually I post in the afternoon and not.. Well, at 11:00 PM.**

The generator hummed as it came to life, and all around them lights began to flicker into existence. Cody stepped back from the machine, looking over his shoulder then turning. Doors came to life, opening and closing as though detecting ghosts in the halls.

Obi-Wan looked up as the lights above them blinked on and off several times before settling. A hum echoed through the building, and grates on the sides of the hall opened. Obi-Wan assumed it was some kind of emergency system trying to expel the water from the building.

"Well, that should make things a bit easier."

"It should, sir." Cody looked over at the Jedi, "We could look through the medical records?"

"Yes, medical records, progress logs, and... incident reports." He wondered if anything like this had happened in the past. Yes, he recalled an incident with Tup and Fives. If they could find the report on that... perhaps they could learn something. If only he'd paid more attention when Anakin had told him about it. Obi-Wan sighed. "Lead the way, Cody."

"Yes General." Cody moved through the door, grateful that it had stopped opening and shutting sporadically. Perhaps there was something in the Jango Fett genotype.

Obi-Wan strode along after him, glancing out a long window beside him. The rain was pouring endlessly down, the weather was harsh here... or it seemed like it to Obi-Wan, who'd spent the last three months on Tatooine. He snorted to himself. Maybe this weather was nice, if you liked rain.

Cody continued on down the winding corridors. It wasn't too much farther now.

Following closely behind him, Obi-Wan let his mind wander, thinking about the possibilities. Could the clones have been brainwashed? That sounded logical. Yet, how and when would the enemy have had time to accomplish that with all the clones? No... that put an enormous hole in that idea. There had to be something else...

"We're here, sir." Cody stepped up to a rather large door that slid open.

Obi-Wan sloshed through the water that still remained on the floor, stepping cautiously through the door. A huge room full of computers and information terminals stood beyond. Obi-Wan hoped there was no water damage, or at very least, that there was a working terminal. "Start looking for a working terminal." Obi-Wan took his own advice, walking forward and inspecting the machines.

The Jedi tried to power the first one up. Nothing... it was ruined-a leak in the roof was directly over it, dripping water onto it. He moved to the next one. The power control was locked in the off position, rusted that way. He could try to pull it, but if it broke? No... There were plenty others. He moved on, glancing over his shoulder to see if Cody was having better luck.

The terminal the clone stood at came to life. He brought up the main screen and glanced back at Obi-Wan, waiting for him to join.

The Jedi strode over easily, coming to a halt only a few feet behind Cody, so he could easily see over his shoulder.

Cody pulled up the medical files. Perhaps there had been a report right before the end of the war; someone must have noticed something, logically. Most of the reports were minor injuries, some fatal, but none of them seemed related to order 66 whatsoever.

"Look up Tup's file," Obi-Wan ordered. He didn't know what Cody knew of that incident. The Chancellor had wanted that "incident" kept quiet... and so word hadn't spread.

Cody did as he said. It came across the screen, and different reports seemed to keep joining without a foreseeable end.

"Look for General Shaak Ti's report on the last incident..." Obi-Wan mused aloud.

Cody pulled it up. "What exactly are we looking for?"

"A medical incident that was labeled a virus by the Kaminoans. Shaak Ti didn't agree with them, and attempted to do further study. The Chancellor denied her request."

"Here," he pointed to a line in her report that nearly matched what Obi-Wan had said word-for-word. Pushing several buttons, he pulled up that part of the file.

"Interesting... Fives 'abducted' a medical droid in an attempt to save Tup, and found something..." he continued reading, looking over the report. Evidently, the medical droid found a tumor, which was sent off to be studied at the medical center on Coruscant. Shaak Ti had wanted to take it to the Jedi, but her request was denied... again. Obi-Wan continued reading, but stopped before the end. He already knew the ending.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you for the follows, and the favorites. I hope you're doing well. We're nearing the end - with only four chapters left to go. Enjoy!**

As time passed, the mentions of this 'tumor' had become far and few between. Some of the reports mentioned it in passing, and said it was nothing, merely a hallucination of a dying man. Until Cody came to Captain Rex's report. The file spoke of claims that Fives had made, claims that should have been further investigated, but apparently were not.

Obi-Wan was pacing behind him, back and forth, and back again. If it were possible, he would wear a hole in the floor. "Rex is..." he paused, he didn't know what became of Rex. He'd not heard from-or seen-him since... since before Anakin had turned. Obi-Wan realized he'd left his sentence unfinished. "Rex was always honest-always spoke his mind. If he thought there was something to this, then there was." Obi-Wan pondered if perhaps any study had been done on the tumor at all. He hoped so... and that they would be able to find it.

"That he is, and did, sir." Cody paused for a moment, "He mentioned the tumor being some kind of chip."

"He did? That was in Rex's report? Something Fives said?" Obi-Wan trundled back, nearly slipping on a water-slick patch of flooring. "Whoa!" He caught himself on a computer terminal, and tried to make it seem as though he'd not just about fallen on his face.

"Yes, sir." Cody shifted away and closed his eyes. His head was pounding.

Obi-Wan looked at the screen. "Hmm... Fives looked into this. He believed the chip was placed there in order to..." Obi-Wan stopped. According to what Fives had said, the chip was the reason the clones turned on the Jedi. Order sixty-six was given, and the clones had no choice but to obey. Obi-Wan frowned deeply. If this was true... that would mean that all the clones were enslaved by the Empire, forced to murder Jedi who might once have been friends... Obi-Wan once again felt the familiar weight of guilt.

If someone had just listened to Fives. If only... if there had been more attention given to this...

Cody watched the screen with empty eyes. Order sixty-six. Pounding, like drums... His hand shot out, clamping on the back of Obi-Wan's head. He shoved, and in effect slamming the Jedi's head against the console.

Obi-Wan, completely unprepared for the attack, felt the sudden shock as his face connected with buttons and metal. He groaned and attempted to turn around. Still, the world swam beneath him, and getting his bearings proved harder than he'd first thought...

The clone repeated the action before he could recover. Cody hauled him back roughly, kneeing him in the midsection.

Obi-Wan gasped for air, shocked by the sudden blow. He fell to the floor. He rolled away, trying to escape. His hand moved to where his light-saber had been. Blast! It had fallen... Through blurry eyes, he could see it, just behind Cody. Obi-Wan extended a hand, feeling the Force well up around him...

Then he let it go. He couldn't. The image of himself stabbing a light-saber through Cody was gruesome... it only brought back visions of Anakin, screaming... falling down the hillside, bleeding and burning. No. He'd ruined Anakin's life. He'd watched Padme die, unable to save her. Hundreds of clones had died under his command... Not one more, he vowed to himself-not again.

Blue eyes looked up, searching, "Cody... I'm sorry-I'm sorry I didn't do more."

"Hundreds of thousands of brothers died so you could win your Light-forsaken war!" Cody felt the anger boiling in his heart. A good soldier follows orders. It was all driving him mad. He kicked the Jedi once more, "Slaughtered, for you!"

Obi-Wan stifled a pained cry. He gasped and shut his eyes for a moment, only to open them again to search for amber eyes. "I know... I accept that. I'm sorry, and I forgive you-for whatever you have to do." Obi-Wan knew it was the Jedi way to forgive... but that wasn't the only reason.

Cody yelled in pained rage. He snatched the lightsaber from its place on the floor and ignited it, the firey, blue blade extending. He knelt before the fallen General, pulling Obi-Wan's head up to expose his neck. He placed the saber against his throat, the sound of sizzling flesh barely registering.

Obi-Wan couldn't hold back the pained sound that escaped. The Force flowed all around him, yet he dared not use it. Instead, whatever happened, would happen. If he died, the secrets he had would die with him, and Luke and Leia would be safe... no one would be worse off without him. He tried to tell himself that.

The world spun. Everything was lit in a strange blue haze. "It's... been an honor..." Obi-Wan smiled, the vaguest, most distant smile he knew he'd ever made-perhaps because he was half-way between this world and the next... or perhaps he was just tired, he didn't know.

The blade dug deeper into his flesh, burning, popping. Something seemed to fall. The whole world, perhaps. Cody shuddered, closing his eyes. The blue light was pulled back inside. "No, no," the man's voice broke - the very walls seemed intent on tormenting him with his own whispers.

Obi-Wan blinked. His eyes stared in confusion. He wondered if dying was truly that easy... and if his spirit did not yet know how it was supposed to leave his body? No... no, he still felt the ground beneath him... the world was still there, though certainly he felt like he was about to black out.

The pain faded from his senses, his breathing slowed, and the room around him went black as his eyes fluttered closed.

Cody choked. He pulled the listless figure away from the cold, wet ground and pressed two fingers against his neck. A heartbeat thrummed against his fingers, too weak and too fast. The clone stood, and pulled the Jedi over his shoulder. Every step he took seemed to bring him farther away from reality. The order echoed in his mind; it would be so easy to kill him now. He was vulnerable. He fought the voices, they weren't his own.

The storm raged outside, silver torrents beating down on the abandoned facility. Nothing was right. He was supposed to make up for the past, not to bring it with him.

The medical bay was cold, and empty. Most of the cots had collapsed or been soaked by rain.

At the end of the room, he found a lone bed in fairly decent shape. Cody lowered the General off his shoulder and onto the mattress; a deadweight. He laid too still. He looked too sick. Too far gone to truly be alive.

In a haze, he sought for basic medical supplies. A first-aid was under each bed. He took it, opening the box. He applied a basic skin ointment to the burned flesh and proceeded to cover it with a bandage. He placed the box under the Jedi's feet, elevating his legs.

It didn't take too long, but still he searched for a blanket.

He set it over Obi-Wan, and turned away from the bed, his expression turning to one of pain. "You're a good man, General Kenobi," he spoke, hating how his voice turned against him.

He began walking. Just one foot in front of the other. It shouldn't have been so hard. He had walked away from many things - battles and lost brothers.

He stopped rather abruptly. He came back beside the bed, stooping beside it. With one hand, he gripped the Jedi's lightsaber, and with the other he pulled Obi-wan's arms from underneath the blanket. Carefully, he set the saber on Obi-Wan's chest, placing his hands over the cold metal.

"I let you down, sir."

A warm tear dripped off of the Commander's jaw.

The wind howled, pushing against the sides of the building. The rain fell, never ceasing - drowning the lonely city in tears.

Obi-Wan blinked, his eyelids feeling a little too heavy. He heard a voice, the sound seemed to be coming at him from a great distance. He blinked again. Words swam though his head... "I let you down, sir." Oh no. He couldn't imagine what exactly Cody meant by that, but he didn't care for the sound of it. "No..." Obi-Wan muttered. "There's still time..."

The world slipped from his grasp again, engulfed in blackness _. All he could do was hope..._


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: And here is the second part of the last chapter... Or, the conclusion of what happened in the end of it. (After this there are about three more chapters.)**

The windows rattled around him, causing Obi-Wan to stir from his less-than-peaceful rest. He opened his eyes, and was met with the sight of a white ceiling. Kamino. Thunder rolled in the distance, and Obi-Wan shifted. His light-saber rolled from his hands. He grasped it instinctively, keeping it from falling. What? How had he gotten here?

He moved, only to groan and fall back down. His head throbbed. Obi-Wan brought one hand up, pressing against the side of his head. It felt like he'd gone ten rounds with a battle ship, using only his face as a weapon. On the bright side, he wasn't dead.

Slowly, the Jedi sat up, using one hand to prop himself up, he held his light-saber in the other. A quick scan of the room told him one thing... he was alone. Why did that bother him? Why did that give him a bad feeling? Cody. Where was Cody? "Cody?" Obi-Wan strained to hear any sound. Where had he gone?

The last thing Obi-Wan could recall was the attack. Yes, it had been the third time Cody had tried to kill him. Really, Obi-Wan found that only he himself was to blame. He should have been a bit more cautious... but he'd trusted Cody for so long, it was hard not to fall right back into the habit. He didn't know where Cody was.

Standing up, Obi-Wan made his way toward the nearest window. It would have a clear view of the placed they had landed. He hoped... Yes, blessedly, the ship was still there. Cody hadn't left. Obi-Wan swayed, nearly toppling to the floor. He righted himself, using the wall to keep himself upright. Breathe through it, he told himself, closing his eyes and focusing on the Force to calm his frayed nerves and his pounding headache.

Putting one foot in front of the other, Obi-Wan made for the door. He clipped his light-saber to his belt. The lights above him flickered, but he paid them little mind, keeping his focus on finding Cody. They were so close to finding a way to help him. Surely he wouldn't have... No. Obi-Wan refocused, keeping his eyes out for Cody. He was still here, so he couldn't have gone far. Though the facility was large, it only stretched on so far. It was the only "land" for miles and miles. Cody was here.

Obi-Wan brought a hand to his neck. It stung... he grimaced and kept walking. Cody didn't mean to do that. He'd stopped himself... Obi-Wan wouldn't give up on him; especially not now. Besides, Cody was his friend.

Rounding a corner, Obi-Wan noted several doors. They were open, so he checked the rooms. Each one was empty. Most of them were medical supply rooms, or separate recovery rooms. Obi-Wan frowned. If he was a clone, where would he go? Honestly, he didn't know, as he was not a clone. If he was Cody, where would he go? He didn't know that either. Obi-Wan had once heard a clone say, "There's no figuring a Jedi." Well, Obi-Wan decided that the statement applied to the clones as well... there was no figuring a clone.

He made his way back into the hall and made his way to the end. Obi-Wan looked right, then left. Both directions stretched on into long, graceful arches. Where would Cody have gone? The armory was to the left. That was where Cody would not be... as it was clear he was trying to avoid harming Obi-Wan. Where then?

Then it hit him. The Kaminoans did have cells-more like containment rooms-on each level, just in case. Obi-Wan made for one of those rooms, taking the right hallway. He headed forward, wondering if Cody was even on this level... if not, Obi-Wan was going to have a less-than-pleasant time wandering all of the building looking for him. He called again, "Cody?"

Obi-Wan paused to listen. He closed his eyes to let the Force guide him. He could feel another presence, but he couldn't tell from where the feeling came. Obi-Wan sighed. Maybe when he was closer, he would be able to sense him better. He pressed on, walking along the seemingly endless hall.

No. Cody pressed the palms of his hands against his closed eyes. He could hear the Jedi's voice echoing down the hallways, bouncing inside the walls of his cell. He had locked himself inside, using the panel to lock after several seconds; just long enough for him to get in. Obi-Wan could open it from the outside, if he knew how. Maybe he didn't know, the clone held out hope.

His back was pressed against the door, his knees drawn up towards his chest. Everywhere was cold, and wet. His thoughts seemed jumbled, even to himself. He shook his head, he had to focus on one thing...

Obi-Wan walked forward, sensing confusion, anger, cold... Picking up the pace, the ex-General strode forward with purpose. Cody had to be close... on this level or the next one down. He reached the end of the hall, and found a set of closed doors. He opened the first. Nothing. The second was shut tightly, though it was clearly sealed by rust, and not anything else. The last one was closed, but it rested on broken hinges, and swung open easily. He turned, heading for the stairs. Cody wasn't on this level.

He took the stairs two at a time, but made certain he traveled over the carefully. He reached the next landing, and glanced both ways. He glanced sideways, and his gaze rested on an old helmet. "I don't suppose the Kaminoans had a map to navigate this place?" he asked it. Now look at me, he berated himself. Talking to empty helmets on the floor. "Huh," he mumbled.

Making his way forward again, Obi-Wan knew he would eventually find Cody. "Cody?" he tried again, this time his voice took on a sad, tired effect. He could sense him better now... so close. Closing his eyes, the Jedi felt pulled along by the Force. He walked along until he felt compelled to stop. Obi-Wan found himself only inches from a sealed metal door. "Cody... Please, I know you're there."

Cody let his head fall back against the solid metal. The only way he was opening this door was if he was ordered to. "With all due respect - go away, sir." He wouldn't hurt him again. He had nearly killed him, and if he had succeeded? No...

Obi-Wan found himself in a unique situation. He looked around for the door controls, but he didn't see any. The panel closest to him was fried... so that one likely wouldn't work, meaning there had to be another way to open it. Obi-Wan put a hand against the cold metal. "Cody, we can figure out what happened to you and the other clones, and we can fix it... but I need you," Obi-Wan emphasized 'you.' He wasn't going to order him to open the door... it didn't feel right. After everything...

"It isn't safe."

Obi-Wan snorted. "Cody... we served together in a war-that wasn't safe." Obi-wan hoped his voice held a lighthearted tone.

"I could have killed you, General. I was going to."

"But you didn't. Besides, I'll be more careful..." He pulled a face at his own words. By now, Obi-Wan knew he should already have learned this lesson, but trust was a part of him... his very nature was built around it.

Cody opened his eyes and stared at the wall across from him. "I want this out of my head, sir."

"I know. I'll make sure it happens. But you have to trust me."

"I do. I'll tell you how to open the door - but we get this out of my head. I don't care what the risk is."

Obi-Wan frowned. He hated taking unnecessary risks with the lives of people he cared about. Still, if that was his only condition. "Very well."

Cody sighed harshly and shook his head. This wasn't a good idea; but he was trusting the Jedi. He was trusting a friend. Standing, he pressed a fist against the wall beside the door. "There's a panel in the doorframe."

"What?" Obi-Wan huffed. "I should've noticed." He mentally berated himself for his lack of insight. If he'd bothered to look, he would've seen it. It took him only a moment to find it. The panel was small, and appeared to be just another groove in the wall. Opening it, Obi-Wan found and pressed his hand against it. The door slid open with a quiet buzz.

Cody stood a little taller. "When do we start, sir?"

"We already have... I think I have an idea. If I recall... there was a medical droid mentioned in one of the reports. The droid would likely have been shut down and left with the rest of the equipment. If we find it, we may find an answer."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thank you all for the follows and favorites!**

Obi-Wan found that navigating Kamino's cloning facility was more difficult when it was empty, than when it was full. However, it was much simpler with Cody, as he knew where everything was. "The droid we're looking for is a medical droid... He would be somewhere in a medical facility, or in a droid hangar... wherever they left deactivated medical equipment..."

"I can get us there," Cody spoke, not looking over at the man. He couldn't look at him, it only seemed to bring out the voices again.

Obi-Wan nodded. He walked at Cody's side, wondering what exactly this would do. What did this mean for Cody? What would happen? He didn't want to overthink it... but it was proving difficult. "Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs." The words of his former Master came to him. Obi-Wan let out a breath. Yes... that was what he would do.

"I," Cody rubbed his neck, "I'm sorry." It wasn't enough, but it would have to be.

"No need," Obi-Wan responded. "It wasn't your choice."

Cody smiled slightly. "Here. It should be in here," with a gesture, he led them to the right.

Obi-Wan followed him into the large room. There were generators, droids, and other electronic device, lined in neat rows along the wall. "Oh..." he sighed. There were a lot of them. "This could take a while. We're searching for an AZ droid."

"Yes, sir." Cody started along the closest wall, scanning the rows of droids and devices. "I've never understood why you Jedi forgive so easily."

Obi-Wan smiled softly. "Because it is the right thing to do. It would take me a life-time to explain it. Perhaps I will try... It seems we may have time," he added, waving an arm around the room at the countless droids.

Cody laughed.

Obi-Wan's smile widened at the sound. Perhaps they could fix this. Maybe they could right what had been made wrong by the Sith lord... And for once, perhaps they actually had a chance to win this war.

The clone continued his search, trying to find the AZ droid. It could have been anywhere, and who knew if it would even still work. He frowned, picking up a mechanical arm and proceeding to drop it back onto the shelf.

Obi-Wan began talking, speaking so that he could have something to do while he looked for the AZ. "Once, I had the strangest dream... I dreamt I was standing in a snowy field, surrounded by millions of tiny Mater Yoda's..." He wondered if maybe he ought not share such strange dreams, but it wasn't like he had any good stories to tell, so he kept on telling his odd dream, "It was a long and complicated dream, but in the end, I was floating in the stars, and a strange pale man... I believe it was the Emperor, was just... floating past me, shouting the whole way. I didn't really know what to make of it..." he mused aloud.

Cody glanced over his shoulder, his expression somewhere between surprise and amusement. "That's... different, General."

"Yes, I suppose it is. Some dreams, there are just no explanations for." Obi-Wan found a whole row of AZ droids. They were the right kind of droid, but there was no telling which one was the droid they were looking for. "Do you have dreams?" Obi-Wan asked without turning around.

"I..." Cody sighed. "One or two, sir." He wondered now if the dream - if that dream was directly related to whatever was going on now.

"Hmmm... Strange things, dreams." Obi-Wan stated. Through the Force, Obi-Wan could sense Cody's tension...

"Yes. I dreamt..." Cody paused, looking over a rather small backup generator, "that the Jedi turned on my brothers. I think we all had that dream. All of us clones. Do you think it could be related?" His eyes darkened, but he kept his tone unchanged. Was it even wise to be telling a Jedi of that dream?

Obi-Wan paused in his search. "It could be... the Jedi turned on you?" He frowned.

"Yes, sir." It still played in his mind through the night, even now. It had always been just one torment among torments. And in the end, it had been the clones that betrayed the Jedi; though not by choice.

"I'm sorry."

"We both are, General."

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

"I found an AZ unit, sir."

"Let's hope it's the right one. I've found about twenty." He sighed. "But perhaps the Force is with us... Or we'll get 'lucky' if you believe in luck."

Cody lifted the unit from the shelf and set it on the floor with a grunt. Droids were always heavier than they appeared.

Obi-Wan strode over. The little droid was deactivated, but even looking at it, the Jedi had to smile. It had huge, disarming eyes and a small rounded body. This was the one, the Force glowed around it. "Yes... this is the one," Obi-Wan stated quietly.

"All right," Cody said with a vague shrug. He knelt on the ground, trying to find how to reactivate it. He had seen them around, but had never needed to activate - nor deactivate - one before. After a moment of various attempts, the droid made a sputtering noise. It was a start, he thought.

Obi-Wan watched as the droid's eyes lit up a soft gold color. Its head shook and it looked up at Cody.

"CC-2224," The robot stated, blinking owlishly up at Cody.

Cody rocked back on his heels, "Commander Cody; yes."

"Cody?" The droid sounded lighthearted and amused. "More than just a number... like FiveZ."

"Fives?" Cody glanced up at Obi-Wan. "Yes, like Fives. He was a good soldier and a better man."

"He was my friend, too," the AZ said. "I think... if I had human emotions, anyway."

Obi-Wan watched silently. Droids had a way of surprising him with their ability to be just as human as anyone else.

"AZ, what was he working on?"

"FiveZ?" The droid raised a hand, seeming to point at the air above him. "A chip has been implanted in every clone. He believed it was the cause of Tup's illness..." The droid used the clone's nickname, remembering how much clones hated it when their name was forgotten.

Obi-Wan's eyes lit up. The droid might have answers after all. 


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thank you everyone for staying with us, and joining!**

 ****

 **Dedicated to OrigamiPuppetBombs**

Cody stood. "Every clone? But that's... millions!" It had crossed his mind, and now he supposed, it was confirmed. "Tup's illness wasn't caused by a virus, then."

"No. It was a malfunction in the chip," AZ announced.

"A malfunction? Is that even possible?" Cody shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is there a way to remove them?"

"Yes, there is. It is dangerous, but if your chip has not malfunctioned, it is possible."

"You would be able to remove mine?"

"Theoretically, yes." AZ bobbed his head in what could have been a nod. "FiveZ was successful then, in warning the others? He was going to warn them," AZ added, hovering just above the ground and looking at Cody with what could have been curiosity, if droids could possess human emotions.

"He... warned some." No one had listened to him then, none but Rex it seemed - and Shaak Ti - yet perhaps now what Fives had done would save them all.

"Oh..." AZ looked down, then up. The droid understood without having to ask that Fives was not coming back-ever. "We need to get to a sterile room," AZ announced. He hovered higher above the ground and his head rotated until he was looking at Obi-Wan. He blinked. "Hello," He waved.

Obi-wan returned the greeting, but his mind was preoccupied.

"That's gonna be difficult, most of the medical rooms were flooded." Cody looked into the unit's gold eyes.

"Oh, that is all right. There are places on the higher levels that should still be unaffected."

"All right." The man motioned for AZ to take the lead, wanting to drop behind and talk with the General.

AZ bobbed his head and hovered gracefully before them, heading toward a turbolift across the room. "I hope they still work. Not that it matters to me, because stairs are really no more work..." The droid kept talking as he floated along through the flickering light.

Obi-Wan walked at an even pace, thoughts focusing into the Force. It was calming... but lonely. With so many Jedi lost, the Force felt different.

"Sir, what will you do when this is over?"

"This?" Obi-Wan turned, looking peaceful, if a little confused.

"What we're doing."

"Oh, yes!" Obi-Wan still looked distant, but he smiled. "Well, when it works, we'll..." he paused. There were thousands of clones who were in the same position as Cody; forced to follow an order they didn't create. "I suppose we'll have to find a way to help your brothers."

Cody didn't hide his brief surprise. "Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome," Obi-Wan nodded.

Cody continued on in silence, only the storm outside and their footsteps to keep company with the quiet. If only they had listened to Fives, if only there had been further investigation done on the tumor, hundreds of thousands would have been spared; he didn't need his full memory to know it was true. But they were picking up the pieces of what was left.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Actually, I take it back, the author's note will be at the end...**

They had arrived at the upper level, and in one of the more sanitary rooms. Cody stepped inside, the door closing behind him and Obi-Wan. AZ was already waiting, hovering around the room moving supplies and setting up his "work space." He punched numbers into a console, humming to himself. The droid motioned to a hovering medical cot, "Please," he stated, as if the single word was a whole order.

Cody strode forward, only hesitating for a moment before getting on the cot. "How long will this take?"

"Not long. It will only take a few minutes. I am programmed for several hundred medical situations," he began rattling some of them off, but stopped himself. "Sorry!" He said brightly, as he injected the contents of a syringe into the clone's blood.

"Agh!" Cody grimaced and rubbed his neck. He tried to relax - he didn't relish the idea of something digging around inside his head, but it was certainly the better option. The roof began looking fuzzy and blurred. He blinked several times, shaking his head. He should thank the General, just in case. And he tried to. "General, sir..." the words were dragged out, almost drunken sounding. He was pulled into unconsciousness, amber eyes sliding closed.

Obi-Wan stirred across the room, looking to AZ.

The droid only set about doing his job: saving the patient. He'd done it before. Efficiently, the medical droid repeated the familiar process, taking all necessary steps to prep for surgery, then beginning. The precise lazer tool cut cleanly to the location of the chip, and in mere minutes, it was safely removed, and the incision was sealed. AZ carefully put the chip in a sealed container, and set it on the medical tray beside himself. He checked the clone's vital signs. He was stable.

AZ turned to Obi-Wan. "He should wake in a few minutes. I hope he will be all right. FiveZ was fine, but Tup..." AZ stopped. "I believe your friend will heal without complications. The chances of success are... high." He didn't bother the Jedi with numbers.

"Thank you AZ."

The AZ droid hovered toward the far side of the room, waiting there to see if he would be needed again.

Obi-Wan strode across the room, coming to a stand-still beside Cody. Hopefully it was over... Hopefully, as the droid had said, Cody would be fine, and order 66 would no longer affect him. Obi-Wan was tired of death, and loss... he wanted no more of it. He was a peace-keeper. He finally recognized what that meant. Saving people... all people. Everyone was worth saving. Perhaps he was attached more to some than others - despite the Jedi's strict rule to avoid attachment - he had friends... people he cared for. He was unwilling to let them suffer if it was in his power to stop it. And today, it was.

Minutes passed with Obi-Wan musing to himself, and AZ analyzing data, talking in the background of Obi-Wan's thoughts... the droids voice was drowned out by the Force. Through the Force, Obi-Wan could see the colors around Cody shifting... no longer grey, but blue and silver, like fire... life.

Cody stirred, his eyes moving behind closed eyelids. His head was pounding, yet he tried to move past it. He forced his eyes open to slits, squinting up at the roof. His memory came back, trickling into the forefront of his mind. How long had he been out? It felt like years, and it felt like seconds. AZ had told him it would only be a few minutes. So minutes, then.

Obi-Wan shifted. "How are you feeling?"

Cody sluggishly moved a hand to his face, pressing his fingers against his once-again closed eyes. "...Okay, sir. Is it...?"

"Gone? Yes."

He was free, then. For the first time, he was truly free. He would focus on helping the others; but in the moment, all he could feel was relief.

"It's over then," Obi-Wan stated, sensing the relief as easily as one could feel sunshine, or rain.

Cody moved his arm, the armor scraping against the edge of the medical cot. He reached, his hand finding Obi-Wan's bicep. He coughed as he swallowed. "Thank you, thank you." He felt peace; he had never known peace.

Obi-Wan smiled-almost smirking. "You really needn't thank me for doing the right thing... but you are welcome."

"Yes." Cody visibly composed himself. He tried to push himself into a sitting position, grimacing all the while - "AZ, thanks."

"You are welcome!" The droid called across the room, waving a hand and blinking.

Cody smiled slightly. AZ had personality, even more than some of the people he had come in contact with before. This was one step towards future peace. There were always many different factors - and many people who no one ever seemed to see - that would be a part of bringing peace. And they were no less important than the faces that were seen on every screen; no less important than the ones who were acknowledged for their actions.

 **A/N: Thank you all for the support through this story. RubbleStrength and I are working on another story, a short chapter fic of sorts, but I can't give any promises with that one. Though, I will most likely continue posting oneshots periodically. Have a wonderful week, and Happy Easter!**


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